One more article about that thing that happened on Tuesday, and then — unlike most of your Facebook friends — I’ll be done talking about it. Honest!
This is not a blog entry about politics, by the way. It’s more about “meta-politics”: the thoughts and ideas and emotions that go into the person/party/philosophy you vote for, rather than which flag you prefer to fly.
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I’ve written recently about the Neptune-South Node conjunction that’s happening now, and how it’s both of benefit to some and a bag of bad drugs for others. Here’s how you can avoid a bad trip.
Don’t surround yourself with only those you agree with. In fact, don’t even surround yourself entirely with people you like. Don’t let your belief system make an idiot out of you. You’re smarter and better than that — or if you aren’t, you should be. I’m sure you have perfectly good reasons for believing the things you believe, but consider this for a second: the moment you are only listening to those who agree with you is the only moment you can all be wrong. Everyone loves the buzz they get from being right — but all buzzes must end eventually, and all buzzes are followed by a crash.
And when that happens? Taking another dose of your favorite delusion just guarantees you’ll crash again eventually. And no matter how you feel about drugs, everyone can agree that living like a junkie — pursuing one high until the next one, and then the next one, and then the next one — usually ends in tragedy, for yourself and possibly others.
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Astrologers aren’t immune to this sort of thing either. I had a cordial online relationship with one astrologer — let’s call him/her “Wee Willy,” because that’s how far the bar of intelligent conversation on this subject has dropped — who defied the odds and predicted the winner of the Presidential Election. Congratulations! Most astrologers who ventured an opinion on the outcome were wrong — just as most media and polls were. There are a lot of reasons for that. Astrologically, part of it boils down to not having a confirmed time of birth for one of the candidates. Nonetheless, Wee Willy kept insisting on cornering his/her friends into offering their projected outcomes for the election until — mostly in an effort to shut him/her up and get on with their day, they did. However, now Willy simply won’t let it go. Still.
Wee Willy is totally overlooking the fact that he/she was totally wrong about the outcome of the 2012 election, by the way.
***
My point here is twofold. Firstly, in order to do the job of a consulting astrologer properly, one has to have some sort of people skills. In medicine, bedside manner really does count for something, above and beyond just medical skill or knowledge. More than one study has confirmed that nicer and more empathetic doctors are better doctors… and not because the nicer ones are always “right.”
Secondly, and most importantly: Neptune may rule deception (including self-deception), but it also rules things like “compassion” and “Higher Love.” If you and I and Wee Willy and everyone else on the planet could listen more closely to that side of Neptune… if all of us could only be, say, 20 percent more patient and tolerant and understanding of each other… then we could make any political ideology or religion or philosophy work for everyone. Never mind “making America great again.” How about making all of Humanity (starting with yourself) greater and wiser and kinder than ever before?
I’d vote for that. Wouldn’t you?
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ADDENDUM: As I was putting the finishing touches on this blog entry, I received word that Leonard Cohen had died. He said pretty much everything in a better and wiser way than I could, so I will gladly close with his words, which make the point I’ve been trying to make here, but a thousand times more eloquently.
The birds they sang
at the break of day
Start again
I heard them say
Don’t dwell on what
has passed away
or what is yet to be.
Ah the wars they will
be fought again
The holy dove
She will be caught again
bought and sold
and bought again
the dove is never free.
Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack in everything
That’s how the light gets in.
We asked for signs
the signs were sent:
the birth betrayed
the marriage spent
Yeah the widowhood
of every government —
signs for all to see.
I can’t run no more
with that lawless crowd
while the killers in high places
say their prayers out loud.
But they’ve summoned, they’ve summoned up
a thundercloud
and they’re going to hear from me.
Ring the bells that still can ring …
You can add up the parts
but you won’t have the sum
You can strike up the march,
there is no drum
Every heart, every heart
to love will come
but like a refugee.
Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack, a crack in everything
That’s how the light gets in.
Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack, a crack in everything
That’s how the light gets in.
That’s how the light gets in.
That’s how the light gets in…
If you find a friend or an enemy or an astrologer who even once conveys something that wise and humane to you, you’ve done something right.
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